Financial Exploitation In Nursing Homes

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Financial Exploitation In Nursing Homes

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

When you think about cases of nursing home abuse, you probably think or physical or mental abuse. Another type of abuse, however, is financial abuse. Financial exploitation happens to nursing home residents, because some staff members in nursing homes take advantage of the patients’ vulnerability.  How can you find out about financial exploitation? There are several different ways that staff may take advantage of residents, but if this has happened to you or someone you love, you can do something about it. Contact a nursing home abuse lawyer, who can help you proceed with your case.

Types of Exploitation

Financial exploitation may be hard to spot, but you may start to notice things that don’t seem quite right. For example, if the money the resident is paying to stay in a certain home seems a more expensive than what their amenities would cost, there is a possibility that the facility actually costs much less, but charges a patient a lot of money and pockets the difference. Senior citizens are a common target for financial exploitation, as they may not fully understand what is happening to them. For example, if a senior is asked to sign financial documents or change the terms on their will or bank accounts, they may not know they are being taken advantage of. Family members should also keep an eye out for mail announcing new accounts that the resident didn’t sign up for, missing money, or mysterious transactions on account statements. If any of these signs appear, it’s important to speak up as soon as possible and contact a nursing home abuse lawyer.

When to Call a Lawyer

You should talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer when you suspect you or someone you love are being taken advantage of. Nursing home staff may be able to exploit a significant amount of money out of a resident, so it’s important to act on the issue as soon as you recognize it. If you aren’t sure if something would be considered exploitation, the lawyer will also be able to advise you on whether it is and what to do about it.

Steve Malman

Malman Law’s founder Attorney Steven Malman has over 30 years of experience handling personal injury, nursing home, medical malpractice, truck accidents, car accidents, premises liability, construction, and workers’ compensation cases in Chicago, IL.

Years of experience: +30 years
Illinois Registration Status: Active and authorized to practice law—Last Registered Year: 2024

What’s your case worth? Submit for a free case review

Related Blog Posts

view all news